Capodimonte

Capodimonte is one of the picturesque and pleasant villages on Lake Bolsena. It stands on a volcanic headland at the foot of which is a lakeside promenade and a small harbour from which trips to the Martana and Bisentina Islands depart. The highest part of the town, in Piazza della Rocca as well as its historic heart, is dominated by the massive outline of Farnese Castle (which is privately owned but can be visited on request): surrounded by a beautiful Italian garden, it can be reached by ascending an inclined bridge, designed by Antonio da Sangallo il Giovane. Outside the town, on a rise along the road to Valentano, one can find some traces of the ancient Visentium, burned to the ground by Urban IV in 1264, then rebuilt but finally abandoned at the beginning of the 19th century.